Jenn Hernandez

June is Pride Month, and as a member of the LGBT Community, Pride has a very special meaning for me. I grew up in Texas and came out as transgender while the AIDS epidemic killed our community mentors. I began my political life by stepping into the leadership void sadly left, organizing community events, art, and memorials. In the years since, I came to know Pride as a celebration of survival, and an opportunity for education and good-faith understanding.

Duvall is a welcoming and tolerant community. After leaving an increasingly hostile Texas, the general open-mindedness in this town convinced me to stay. I knew this was my home when the town rallied together after the Pride Wall came down and flew pride flags everywhere from private homes to City Hall. As chair of Duvall’s Cultural Commission, it was a pleasure to recommission—with the help of many of our town’s amazing LGBTQ citizens—the Pride Wall as Axton Burton’s “How Far We’ve Come” art that now graces City Hall.

My goal on Duvall’s City Council is to represent the people of the city. Being Mexican American and the T in LGBT are all important parts of the perspective I will bring to the council, giving me the empathy and experience to advocate for our under-represented groups.

Perspective is only so useful until it guides action. The most important thing is to use that experience to represent the concerns of everyone in the city. Your concerns. Your needs. Your suggestions.